So. Now I take on the task of correcting the story and trying to explain the details that were omitted. Even the best of news reporters manage to misunderstand a few things in a short interview. In the end, I know I cannot answer ALL the questions. Especially not in a short forum post. But I would like to make a few comments.
First, snow bridges are indeed dangerous. I knew it before. I approached with extreme caution, but I guessed wrong this time. I could see a profile of the place where I crossed. It appeared to be about four feet thick. I probed. It was packed hard, frozen solid. I carried a safety pole because I routinely do that, not because I was especially nervous about this bridge. Several other people assessed the bridge that day, and they all crossed. We all crossed it again on the way out. By all appearances, this was about as bombproof a bridge as you ever see out there. Except that it wasn't.
It's a perplexing question when you ask how to judge the safety of any feature. In the end, we make judgment calls every time we go into the mountains. We weigh the risks and give it our best shot. Sometimes we ALL guess wrong. We just hope that we don't make too many mistakes in crucial places like this.
I have had many comments about items I should have had along or things I should have done differently. Which of the "ten essentials" would have helped me? People comment that I shouldn't have been alone. What would YOU do if your buddy disappeared into a stream tunnel? Could you save him? And if you ran for help, the help would do what, exactly?
We could spend eternity batting various questions around. It's a good thing to have these discussions. We learn from each other. But we like to think that if we do all the right things, we can keep ourselves safe. Life itself is risky. In the end, we make our choices. Either we sit on the couch in bubble wrap, or we go out there armed with wits and knowledge, and give life our best shot.
Happy trails,
Marcia
